This invention relates to the mounting of devices upon high modulus structures.
High modulus structures made from materials such as pyrolytic graphite as well as many composite structures are so brittle that such materials do little to distribute any nonuniform loads that may be introduced. Consequently, structures made from such materials are subject to failure significantly below design limits at stress points such as drill holes, rivet attachments, etc. These same materials contribute little to vibration damping required to dissipate undesirable energy inputs.
These brittle, extra-lightweight structures require extensive buildups in areas of mechanical attachments where take-apart joints are required to offset stress problems. These joints may exist at panel terminations that are required for panel assembly or they may exist over the surface of the panel where equipment boxes, brackets or the like are attached. If for any reason it becomes necessary to relocate a device on these panels, new bosses and fastener locations must be established, providing an additional weight penalty and higher manufacturing cost.
Adhesive bonding attachments that would eliminate the requirement for localized bosses are not, heretofore, amenable to making removable attachments on large surfaces. The adhesives used heretofore for installations upon an assembled structure are catalyzed theremosetting polymers. These adhesives are not amenable to a joint that is to be assembled/disassembled several times. Accordingly, what is desired is an apparatus and method for demountably mounting a device to a lightweight brittle structure.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for demountably mounting a device to a lightweight brittle structure.